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19th Century News Coming Online
Posted by
michael
on Sat Jun 12, 2004 12:30 PM
from the datamining dept.
from the datamining dept.
mfh writes "The BBC is reporting that approximately a million news stories from the 19th century are going online. The project will cost roughly $3.6 mil USD (converted from UK pounds) and include 100 years of news and images from publications that are no longer copyright protected, and currently only available at the Newspaper Library in Colindale, North London. 52000 newspapers and magazines will be included and the project should take 18 months to complete. This is good news for Slashdotters, as this online archival project will provide a plethora of background material for articles and comments, and possibly pave the way for better online library projects with more current material."
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Ye Olde Slashdott (Score:5, Funny)
This story is a dupe: http://yeoldeslashdott/article.asm?yere=1842&mone
Re:Ye Olde Slashdott (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Ye Olde Slashdott (Score:5, Insightful)
ironic, i think so...
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interface (Score:2, Insightful)
Also, how useful the resource is will depend as much on the interface as the material.
Dupes (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Dupes (Score:5, Funny)
In todays news
A loose organisation of gentlemen alchemists are currently awaiting a funding decision for research into the recently discovered "philosphers stone".
A succesful working model of the stone has been built in london and commentators estimate the stone being able to convert 500lbs of lead into gold within the year.
international news from the colonies, an american team based in arizona are currently building a large cannon in preparation for the manned trip to the moon.
"Our steam powered cannon is almost complete and we are currently packing the hollowed-out-cannonball with food and weapons"
"we will also be equipping the lunasphere with cotton wool face masks to prevent any contamination from the noxious fume which is rumoured to surround the moon"
the masks are tied around the face of the lunanauts with silk ribbons provided by the womens institute.
no mention is reported how the explorers intend to return to earth.
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Should help with Prior Art (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Should help with Prior Art (Score:3, Insightful)
One-step checkout in the 19th century, why the very idea!
slashdot.... (Score:2, Funny)
Actually (Score:2)
Murderous fun! (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually should be interesting material there: Jack the Ripper, John Christie, Mary Ann Cotton etc... Yep, 1800-1900 was a good century for the UK's mass murderers.
Heh (Score:5, Interesting)
Now that a complete online library is going online, perhaps other libraries will follow suit, and keep information free?
Google Catalogs? (Score:5, Informative)
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History (Score:4, Insightful)
My take on it was that with a million articles dating back to the 19th century could back up comments and articles that touch on the early roots of technology or modern science, and perhaps these sources could lead to some interesting comments on the subject matter, or possibly even revelations? Who knows what we'll find? Maybe once the library is used more and more frequently, they will begin adding many more works to it as well.
Whenever someone is talking about famous scientists, any additional info can help, and many many many stories on Slashdot discuss historical features.
I wasn't saying it would be a good source, but that it would help back up statements in stories with additional links to resources. Look at some of the math theories being solved today, for instance; how many of these unsolved mysteries posed in the 19th Century? Many, if I'm not mistaken.
I don't think anyone can be certain how this will exactly affect Slashdot, but I'm guessing that extra info from this era couldn't hurt, right?
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This is what the Internet is for!! (Score:2, Insightful)
Anyone ever read a small town newspaper? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Anyone ever read a small town newspaper? (Score:3, Funny)
Yes. I would say that writers and editors of the 19th century would be, by necessity, stuck in the 19th century.
Just as I seem to be stuck in the 21st century. Dammit, where's my helicopter belt?
Re:Anyone ever read a small town newspaper? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Anyone ever read a small town newspaper? (Score:3, Insightful)
What I mean by that is, while it may seem a bit farsical that a small town paper would write, as you joke,
"Mr. and Mrs. Smith had dinner at old widow Jackson's house Sunday after church meeting. Her leg is healing fine. They sat around and watched Andy Griffith reruns and ate collard greens n' such."
What the journalist covering this is doing on a "small town" scale isn't so different from what many publications do on
Page 3 anyone? (Score:4, Funny)
For non-UK ./'ers, Page 3 is a page in one of our more popular tabloids, The Sun [thesun.co.uk], that publishes a large picture of a semi-naked lady every day. In fact, Page 3 is the only reason anyone ever buys The Sun.
Re:Page 3 anyone? (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:Page 3 anyone? (Score:5, Funny)
Of course, other papers, including The Times and The Guardian, don't have a page 3. They go straight from page 2 to page 4, citeing concerns that The Sun may have received a patent on page 3.
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Prior art? (Score:3, Insightful)
RTFA? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:RTFA? More like RTFLHYAIICTP (Score:4, Funny)
The acronym loving slashdotters will LOVE this development, but then again, IANAALS (I Am Not An Acronym Loving Slashdotter)
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Playboy? (Score:2, Funny)
Oh come on! (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, really? (Score:5, Funny)
Inventor Eli Whitney Applys For "One-Click" Cotton Gin Patent
Pianists Seek Curbs on Player Piano Technology
"Roll Sharing" Circles Seen as Threat to Recital Revenues
Unsolicited Telegraph Messages on the Rise
So-called "Lard" Telegrams Now Comprise 60% of Traffic, Operators Say
Utah Granted Statehood
Gov. McBride Lays Claim to Concept of Statehood, Says Other States Owe $6.99 Each
(I think The Onion does this better than me.)
k.
Something has changed, something not (Score:4, Interesting)
A top political problem in Europe up to that date was women wearing long pantalons in public and irresponsible aviatics flying their fragile machines above the populated cities.(sic!) All socialist parties, which are currently at the peak of power in majority of european countries were totally outlawed, and some their members executed, because of throwing home made bombs on politicians. "War to terror" was that called.
Only things which seems to be almost identical to our time are media advertisings and patent issues.
Its a good start (Score:5, Interesting)
Maybe there should be a Gutenberg Project for old newspapers and such. Lots of metadata for easy searching.
One of the things that drives me crazy about all the stupid copyright extensions is the amount of recent history that could be digitized. Just imagine the interesting things to be learned from minor accounts from World War II and other events. Right now it's just rotting away on paper and film.
Support the Public Domain Enhancement Act [eldred.cc]!
Re:Its a good start (Score:5, Informative)
Get involved and help keep out-of-print and out-of-copyright books around forever.
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Homicide In Chicago 1870-1930 (Score:5, Informative)
Take a look. [northwestern.edu]
It's incredible. How did anyone ever survive the city during that time period? If you feel like doing a little sleuthing and completing some unsolved cases, check it out. There's solved cases there as well.
It's a good complement to Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen.
The other amazing this is that almost nothing has changed in over 100 years...
Preserving and making history accesible, good job! (Score:3, Interesting)
(shameless plug)
In a similar initiative, the company I work with [newtenberg.com] has republished my country's first newspaper [auroradechile.cl], from the first issue in 1812.
Interesting for researchers (Score:3, Insightful)
Um, yea... (Score:3, Funny)
And we all know how much time slashdotters take to thoroughly research background material needed to create an informed and well-thought-out post.
"Hey 3l33td00d, check out this post! ClearChannel just patented short-range FM Radio!"
"Wait a second, hax0rd00d, acording to this Morning Post article I read from the UK 19th century news, there was this guy back in the UK who made an FM radio from a coconut back in 1894!"
"Dude! You're so gonna get mod points on that one!"
"Yea, took three hours to find the thing, but +5 is so worth it!"
Wait just a dang minute. (Score:4, Informative)
Had this for a little while now (Score:3, Informative)
Sad News - Abraham Lincoln dead at 61 (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Benefits Over...? (Score:5, Insightful)
Does it have a million news stories from the 19th century?
No, well thats at least one benefit.
lexis-nexis seems to cost money too.
You were just going for a early post werent you, regardless of actually having anything worth saying.
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Re:Benefits Over...? (Score:5, Interesting)
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Re:Benefits Over...? (Score:5, Informative)
Leslie Illingworth [google.com]'s original cartoon collection is in the National Library of Wales [llgc.org.uk]. The entire collection has been digitized and will be launched shortly on the Library's digital mirror [llgc.org.uk].
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Re:Benefits Over...? (Score:3, Funny)
Purpose of resource (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:So inclined to hang on to the past... (Score:3, Insightful)
The Past Didn't Go Anywhere (Score:5, Insightful)
They say that those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it, but I think those who learn from history are doomed to repeat it anyway.
"I think we can all agree, the past is over." --Dubya
Seriously, though, the past is interesting because it continues to have effects on the present and the future. Also, because we can learn from patterns that have occurred in the past and from past misakes, so stydy of the past helps us to understand what's going on right now. I think a lot of people who want us to forget the past have very specific things in mind from the past that they'd like us to forget.
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Deliberate Deception (Score:3, Interesting)
It could also be deliberate deception. Noam Chomsky calls this the doctrine of change of course [zmag.org].
The content of the doctrine is: "Yes, in the past we did some wrong things because of innocence or inadvertence. But now that's all over, so let's not waste any more time on this boring, stale stuff."
The doctrine is dishonest and cowardly, but it does have advantages: It protects us from the danger of
Re:Revisionist News (Score:3, Interesting)
OK, let me give you an example. It's been beaten to death, but it will suffice. The US govt claims that it is not practicing imperialism in the occupation of Iraq. However, a good look at the history of the US clearly shows that the US govt has frequently practiced imperialism before (t
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you..." (Score:3, Insightful)
Ah, so it's working. Sad to see.
No, you don't. However, have you ever heard the phrase "pattern of behavior" before?
Re:So inclined to hang on to the past... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:And Who Pays For This? (Score:4, Informative)
Of course the point you make is still valid if you extend the issue to the general public funding of such resources; from licence fees to taxes. While taxation funding is preferable to licence fee funding because it is broader and creates no damage to other BBC broadcasting functions, either is preferable to none. A well functioning public domain benefits everyone by allowing creative use of resources that would otherwise be difficult to find or unobtainable.
I've done research at the Colindale library site. Let me be blunt to the point of vulgarity: it is a cunt of a place; Colindale is at the arse end of London; hard to get to; unpleasant to study in; hot sweaty and a fucking nusiance. I resolved not to go there again unless I had a choice. Broader and more convenient national, and better still global public access, would be a benefit to everyone. Research would be easier and more convenient: new better works would be created; students and researchers would produce better work's more easily etc. etc.; the public commons would be extended, rather than contracted under the prevailing "everyone must pay for everything" economists perfect pricing scheme promulgated by copyright rights-owners.
Is all this extra worth expense to the public? Damn straight it is. A bargain.
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